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Out of context: Reply #68437
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- NBQ00-5
Hi QBNrs
I'm new here and I wanted to start my first post with saying how shocked I am about the low wages in the creative industry fields in the UK & London.
I was considering a move to London and I just can't believe what I'm seeing. Senior graphic designers & art directors avg yearly salaries are about £30K-40K. Even if it was £50K I find it low for senior and well experienced creatives.
It's just incredible. How did it ever get so low there?
How do designers, motion designers and creatives survive in London?
I know you could get flat mates but seriously I have no desire to live with flatmates all my life. And even if you lived with flatmates all you can pretty much save up at the end of the month is like £200 (after taxes, living expenses, rent, etc). That's like nothing.
Please tell me if I'm missing something.
- why did you pick NBQ00 as your handle on here?chukkaphob
- Does it matter? It's reverse of QBN. I can easily remember and I wasn't really into spending hours to come up with something original.NBQ00
- if this is your attitude & approach in the design field as well, maybe you just answered your own question why you can't find a decent paying gigchukkaphob
- It's because all the marketing people spend the budgets on cocaine.PhanLo
- What attitude & approach please? What does it have to do with the low wages in London?NBQ00
- London wages are shit in relation to living costs across the board, unless you can provide immediate substantial returns on what your employer pays youFax_Benson
- Eg finance / propertyFax_Benson
- It's incredible. I don't think I want to move there anymore. It's a great city but damn how can they pay so low? It's London/ UK FFS, not a 3rd world country.NBQ00
- Probably lots of art school grads, who cant get off the island saturate the market. NYC pays jr. Designers better.robotron3k
- I learned it's not just in creative fields but pretty much across most if not all job sectors. From someone: https://imgur.com/a/…NBQ00
- Take it as a sign not to move to London. Frankly, I don't see the appeal.monNom
- Out of interest how much would you expect to make?PhanLo
- Work remotely from somewhere with cheap living costs in Europe = what will happen anyway after Brexit. Ad agency marketing/account folks will just outsource...shapesalad
- ...to all those EU freelances - that make up a lot of London's creative employees - who return to EU and undercut the rate of Ldn based freelancers.shapesalad
- *Freelancersshapesalad
- I saw a senior motion designer job, central london, integral to their business, need to be a pro at all softwares, creative lead etc.. £35k pashapesalad
- freelancing will get you more but of course you need the contacts and a steady flowernexbcn
- This is ridiculous. They expect you to be a rocket scientist and a design superstar, know all tools, do 2d, 3d, creative & art direction and only make £30k/£40KNBQ00
- Fuck London if you're not on a good wage or have a super cool job that justifies living there. Just to do an average paid slog, fuck that!microkorg
- a lot of redundancy coming up anyway when UK crashes out of the EU and design/ad agencies fold after clients flee...shapesalad
- Your new to UK? To understand this you need to look into the heart of the English engine - corrupt and subservial. We pay for the system that cages us.mugwart
- ^ deep man! Don't like it - great either leave and find a better place (pls let us know where!) or fight it!mugwart
- Where did you get those figures from? I'm a senior freelance motion designer and if I'm working 24/7 earn a modest amount more than the salary's you mentioned.graphiconions
- If you can't get word of mouth gigs, there is an absolute tsunami of recruitment spammers on linkdin begging to get you work (not a good £ but still better)graphiconions
- London is a buzzing place. a shit ton of creative stuff going on. tons of galleries / shows / seminars / lots of other creative stuff to get involved.graphiconions
- If you work 24/7 in London and only make a tiny bit more than £35-£40K avg senior-level salary that's a bad life to me. Unless you really love your job so muchNBQ00
- You're basically just a slave for the studios, work your ass off, have no life at all and can barely get by. Of course it's better than no job but still.NBQ00
- I guess fuck London. It's shit weather there most of the time anyway.NBQ00
- 1st note.********
- Did I offend anyone with my post here? Why the downvotes? I thought most here agree that London is paying like shit and expensive as fuck.NBQ00
- Don't mind the up/downvotes, users with several accounts need to have some fun...dmay
- i lived there between 2005 - 2008 and worked as a graphic designer making 25k in the first year. 30k in the last. I was not that experienced and shared a housed_gitale
- with 3 others. I had a really good time mainly because of my colleagues and work atmosphere.d_gitale
- I recently had a look online and the jobs for seniors pay marginally higher than I got as a middlewight 10 years ago. its crazy.d_gitale
- Welcome to the QBN. Here’s some downvotes.maquito
- LOL I didn't say 'tiny' bit more. than £30- £40k... I said 'modest'. I was being modest. I earn more than enough to get by. Don't slave my ass off unless...graphiconions
- ... I'm really feeling the job. But hey that's me. Can do attitude. Lots of really cool work going on here, Lots of positive & talented folk...graphiconions
- ... perhaps you are better off staying where you are. lolgraphiconions
- Here's some real figures for. As a freelancer. Mid-Senior weight ( through Agency ) 60k - 70k / year. ( sans Agency ) 65 - 100k / year. If you were to work...graphiconions
- ... the full 261 working days per year, which is rare... but means more free time and even still, easily eclipses your basic internet searches.graphiconions